{"id":58719,"date":"2017-11-29T20:26:43","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T20:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=58719"},"modified":"2017-11-29T20:26:43","modified_gmt":"2017-11-29T20:26:43","slug":"hurricane-survivors-advised-to-hire-legitimate-contractors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719","title":{"rendered":"Hurricane Survivors Advised To Hire Legitimate Contractors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">With millions of dollars in recovery funds flowing to Virgin Islanders whose homes were damaged or destroyed during the hurricanes, territorial and federal emergency management officials are offering some sound advice: hire legitimate contractors for your repair or reconstruction jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">The Virgin Islands Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommend that survivors who have received FEMA grants to repair or rebuild homes make sure their contractor is experienced and trustworthy, and that all appropriate building permits are obtained before any work begins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">The Virgin Islands requires that home builders obtain business licenses and that some specialty builders, including electricians and plumbers, be certified. Homeowners may obtain additional information through the Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs at <a class=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/fema.pr-optout.com\/Tracking.aspx?Data=HHL%3d94658%26JDG%3c%3a9%3a-%3b3%40%26SDG%3c90%3a.&amp;RE=MO&amp;RI=1731304&amp;Preview=False&amp;DistributionActionID=38406&amp;Action=Follow+Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u class=\"\">http:\/\/dlca.vi.gov<\/u><\/a>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">\u201cChecking a contractor\u2019s credentials before signing any paperwork will start your rebuilding project off on the right foot,\u201d said Federal Coordinating Officer William Vogel of FEMA. \u201cWe want federal recovery funds to help get hurricane survivors back into safe and well-constructed homes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><span class=\"\">Other tips for avoiding fly-by-night builders include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"\">\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"\"><strong class=\"\">Get a written estimate and read the fine print \u2013 <\/strong>Always try to get estimates from several reputable contractors before making a decision. Hire a local contractor if at all possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"\"><strong class=\"\">Ask for a written contract \u2013<\/strong> A complete contract should clearly state the scope of work to be performed, all associated costs and a payment schedule. Don\u2019t succumb to pressure to sign a contract immediately because you are told the \u201coffer is good today only!\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"\"><strong class=\"\">Get an address \u2013 <\/strong>Choose a contractor with an established physical address, and verify the information. It\u2019s normal for contractors to use cell phones these days, but they should still have a physical address.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"\"><strong class=\"\">Permits \u2013 <\/strong>Make sure the contract clearly states who obtains necessary permits. Have an attorney review the contract if substantial costs are involved. Keep a copy of signed contracts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"\"><strong class=\"\">Proof of insurance \u2013 <\/strong>Make sure the contractor carries general liability insurance, workers&#8217; compensation and is bonded. Homeowners or businesses could be held liable for an accident on their property if the contractor is uninsured.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"\"><strong class=\"\">Pay by check \u2013 Ne<\/strong>ver pay the full amount before the work is done and pay with a check or credit card instead of cash.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"\"><strong class=\"\">Beware of the phrase \u201cFEMA Certified\u201d \u2013 FEMA neither certifies nor endorses any private-sector contractor, so be wary of one who claims to have either. <\/strong>If approached by anyone claiming to represent FEMA, ask for identification. All FEMA representatives carry photo identification.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"\"><strong class=\"\">Report unscrupulous activities, scams or fraud \u2013 <\/strong>If you suspect any sort of scam or fraud, contact your local police department.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With millions of dollars in recovery funds flowing to Virgin Islanders whose homes were damaged or destroyed during the hurricanes, territorial and federal emergency management officials are offering some sound advice: hire legitimate contractors for your repair or reconstruction jobs. The Virgin Islands Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommend that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":58480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7429,191,147],"tags":[7503,7438,68],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hurricane Survivors Advised To Hire Legitimate Contractors - V.I. Consortium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find Virgin Islands new, opinion, politics, lifestyle, business and more\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719\",\"name\":\"Hurricane Survivors Advised To Hire Legitimate Contractors - V.I. Consortium\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-11-29T20:26:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-11-29T20:26:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#\/schema\/person\/39b3006bfe8aca8c2131c695b7505c09\"},\"description\":\"Find Virgin Islands new, opinion, politics, lifestyle, business and more\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Hurricane Survivors Advised To Hire Legitimate Contractors\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/\",\"name\":\"V.I. Consortium\",\"description\":\"Uniting the Caribbean\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#\/schema\/person\/39b3006bfe8aca8c2131c695b7505c09\",\"name\":\"Staff\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f92cdebdd3d534234e61f7a1b9fbfa8?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f92cdebdd3d534234e61f7a1b9fbfa8?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Staff\"},\"url\":\"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?author=3\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hurricane Survivors Advised To Hire Legitimate Contractors - V.I. Consortium","description":"Find Virgin Islands new, opinion, politics, lifestyle, business and more","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Staff","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719","url":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719","name":"Hurricane Survivors Advised To Hire Legitimate Contractors - V.I. Consortium","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2017-11-29T20:26:43+00:00","dateModified":"2017-11-29T20:26:43+00:00","author":{"@id":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#\/schema\/person\/39b3006bfe8aca8c2131c695b7505c09"},"description":"Find Virgin Islands new, opinion, politics, lifestyle, business and more","breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=58719#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hurricane Survivors Advised To Hire Legitimate Contractors"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#website","url":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/","name":"V.I. Consortium","description":"Uniting the Caribbean","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#\/schema\/person\/39b3006bfe8aca8c2131c695b7505c09","name":"Staff","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f92cdebdd3d534234e61f7a1b9fbfa8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"http:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f92cdebdd3d534234e61f7a1b9fbfa8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Staff"},"url":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?author=3"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58719"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=58719"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58719\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/58480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=58719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=58719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=58719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}